Birds of Prey - Review

 

She’s definitely got moxy. That’s one thing nobody will argue against when it comes to Dr. Harlene Quinzel, aka Harley Quinn, the kooky ex-girlfriend of the Joker and general hell raiser in her own right. Despite appearing like a lost puppy looking for the Joker in the celluloid turd that was “Suicide Squad,” the past decade of comics, television, and animated films have been spent establishing Harley as a force all by herself. Thankfully, “Birds of Prey” continues the streak DC started with “Shazam!” by providing a delightfully zany and scatterbrained anti-hero adventure.

Margot Robbie (“The Wolf of Wall Street,” “I, Tonya”), who’s also a producer on the film, clearly loves Harley. Her performance here is leagues above “Suicide Squad.” She cracks wise to the camera, flips the narrative around when it suits her, and constantly narrates scribbles and words across the screen. She’s a delight for every moment she’s on screen and her arc is quite impressive. Themes of “working together” come full circle by the time the rest of the team shows up, and Harley has made legitimate changes and it leads into the film’s most action-packed act yet with strong narrative grounding.

Not everyone gets as much time devoted to them, however. Despite the title being “Birds of Prey,” it’s basically Harley’s story. That does leave the film feeling a bit uneven, but the rest of the cast still holds their own. Jurnee Smollett-Bell (“Friday Night Lights,” “The Great Debaters”) as the killer voiced Black Canary has the most equal arc and screen-time compared to Harley. Her performance is also just as varied as Robbie’s and the pair really go there with their arcs.

Meanwhile Ella Jay Basco, in her film debut, as Cassandra Cain, and Mary Elizabeth Winstead (“Scott Pilgrim vs. The World,” “10 Cloverfield Lane”) as Huntress end up playing more comedic versions of their comic counterparts. They’re still plenty fun, but they never seem to be taken that seriously. The same goes for Ewan McGregor (“Moulin Rouge!” “Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith”) as Black Mask and Chris Messina (“Argo,” “The Mindy Project”) as Victor Zsasz. While both are menacing in individual moments, their best bits are their fantastic comedic chemistry, putting a thick layer of homoerotic cheese over their crime sprees.

If anyone gets the short end of the stick, its Rosie Perez’s (“Fearless,” “Pineapple Express”) Officer Montoya. Not only is she handed the most cliched and underdeveloped part of the script, she’s also playing this officer incredibly ham-fistedly. Not that she doesn’t get some moments to shine, she’s great in the first act playing straight to Gotham’s overblown shenanigans. She’s just the weakest link in this flock.

Thankfully, it almost doesn’t matter if there even is a weakest link, because director Cathy Yan (“Dead Pigs”), screenwriter Christina Hodson (“Bumblebee (2018)”) and cinematographer Matthew Libatique (“Requiem for a Dream,” “Black Swan”) ground the film in a sense of pure camp and absurdity. The film is constantly flying back and forth between Harley’s narration, fantasy sequences, and the supposed reality of the film. It lends everything a very surreal feeling.

Similarities to films like “Deadpool” and “Pulp Fiction” are understandable, but it’s the clear personality that immediately sets the film apart from those. Often times, the audience is cut out of an important conversation because Harley was cut out of it or just wasn’t paying attention. It works because the entire project is so clearly wrapped around her own psyche and perspective on these events.

One could argue that the film’s heavy subjects, such as empowerment, police corruption, the male gaze, toxic relationships, and more, require a more respectful hand, but given the kind of film that this is, there’s something to be said for purposefully going over the top to make a point. While it might not be to everyone’s taste, this state of silliness is consistent throughout the entire film, never flinching or falling prey to tonal shifts or imbalances.

The action scenes keep the bizarro absurdity, with the camera floating through car chases and fun houses with the same ease. Blood spews for every goon Harley whacks with her oversized hammer while gracefully gliding around on her roller skates, and as she beams, it becomes clear exactly what kind of film this is.

It’s the antithesis of every superhero film of the past decade. Part Deadpool, part Pulp Fiction, with enough blood and foul language spewing from every orifice to make both of those films proud, it feels like it should be derivative. However, it’s the strong chemistry and commitment to the absurd point of view of this killer clown queen that makes this flock soar higher than its so-so character development should have allowed. 4/5